Whooping Cough Cases On The Rise In Eastern Racine County

Have you been vaccinated? Find out what whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is, who needs a vaccine and where you can find them.

With 59 cases of whooping cough reported in eastern Racine County since January, health officials are asking residents to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations. Wisconsin currently leads the nation in the number of reported cases with 5,163 confirmed or probable cases reported, according to the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH). The highly-contagious communicable disease starts out like a cold in infants and young children, with a low-grade fever and cough that appears seven to 20 days after a person has been exposed. As the illness advances, a person can have explosive coughing, and may be followed by vomiting and exhaustion. Locally, Jeffrey Langlieb, community health program manager for the Central Racine County…

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Heather Rayne Geyer

10:17 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012

Question (maybe I missed it) - how many cases are adults vs kids?   more ›

Whooping Cough Confirmed at Washington Park High School

Racine Unified made calls to parents Tuesday to alert them about the single case of whooping cough at Washington Park High School.

A single case of whooping cough at Washington Park High School has been confirmed. Parents of Racine Unified students received calls late Tuesday afternoon letting them know that a student does have pertusis, or whooping cough. According to the information conveyed during the call, parents should watch for the following symptoms, which can mirror those of the flu: Pertusis is highly contagious and is spread by sneezing. Symptoms typically appear seven to 10 days after exposure. Treatment consists primarily of anti-biotics. Stacy Tapp, Unified spokesperson, said the district is looking into the situation. Patch will update this story as more details become available.

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Student Attending Horlick High School Has Whooping Cough

Learn what the health department has to say.